IA let go abruptly. “I’m sorry. That was inappropriate of me.”682Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡgBBOjdEgWi
Yukari croaked, “It’s okay.” She felt as if her skin was on fire. She took a few deep breaths and wiped her tears away.682Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡTssbZPsKV7
IA tapped her fingers rapidly against the steering wheel. She looked down at her lap with drooping eyes and sighed.682Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡpHvjrQ7xaC
“Are you okay?” Yukari asked.682Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡSQDqsxeCQT
IA’s eyes grew and she lifted her head, putting on a smile.682Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡjpqX7xb5IS
“Of course I am. You’re here, aren’t you?”682Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡNiYjAuoyA1
This comment sent the warmth from Yukari’s skin to her heart. She smiled and turned her head, covering her mouth.682Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡh0O7kiSgcX
IA started the car and continued driving as if nothing had happened. Yukari had gotten used to the speed at which she drove by now, but she remained on the lookout for speed limit signs and reminded IA of them whenever they passed one. IA slowed down a bit.
"Please don’t be upset when I ask this, but why do you drive so quickly?” Yukari asked.682Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡdjB3aOZTgk
IA chuckled. “I don’t know. I’m just always so excited to get to a different place that it kind of takes over me. If you weren’t here to bring me back to my senses, I don’t know what I’d do.”682Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ0b9UVpjtBB
Yukari’s smile grew bigger.682Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡnaIgedj1YZ
At the apartment, IA wiggled her fingers for a while before taking a book off her shelf.682Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡtPBX6GwEat
She immediately returned it to the shelf. Then she took it out again.682Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡt4E8WWhrz5
“Okay, this one’s… Don’t judge me.”682Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡCwU9OLmT9X
She handed it to Yukari while turning her head with her closed eyes scrunched up.682Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡEqAsXl8W5J
Yukari gulped. It was a pulp novel that appeared to be translated into Japanese. The cover had two women in lingerie, one brunette lying on a bed and the other, blonde, sitting behind her with a mischievous expression. In the corner of the room they were in was a table with a coat and a magnifying glass on it.682Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡZ33yf0F8Ed
IA’s cheeks turned red. “Don’t get the wrong idea! It’s more than just love scenes. I wouldn’t show it to you if it was just that since, you know, that would be kind of weird. It’s a really intriguing mystery and has an interesting romance between the detective…” She pointed to the brunette. “... and the femme fatale she suspects is the murderer.” She moved her finger to the blonde. “It’s surprisingly good for a pulp novel, but the cover makes it a bit of a guilty pleasure. It has some more mature scenes but they’re not that often.”682Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡe3GAOljWEu
Yukari’s chest began to hurt from her heart pounding too hard. She nodded and held the book against her chest.682Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡVrr31gTOHx
“I’ll give it a go. I’m eighteen, so I think I can handle it.”682Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡneF7akHeJ2
“Good.” IA’s eyebrows were furrowed as if she felt guilty about something. “If you feel uncomfortable reading it, you’re not obligated to read the rest. You can just return it to me and we can forget I ever lent it to you.”682Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ1uFMdBQQJA
“I said it’s fine.”682Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ8RZqyrkVhc
The two fell silent, just standing there and looking away from each other. 682Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ96HPSeSbk3
IA gulped loudly. “Okay. I hope you enjoy reading it.”682Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡsjQPJ0wQIw
Yukari nodded and bowed before leaving the apartment. 682Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡNlAtdjSgzu
As she headed home she passed Roro’s house and frowned. Her own eyebrows furrowed with guilt, but she continued walking.682Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡNVKOcyoxOT
When she finally made it home, she had dinner with her family. After that, she put her pyjamas on, lied down in bed and stared at her ceiling. One question tugged at her mind.682Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ3PpB5qJI69
‘Would it be wrong for her to date me?’682Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡFqYPYkIBw7
There was no age issue, at least in terms of the law, as IA was twenty-two and she was eighteen, but Yukari was still a student at the school IA worked at. Then again, it wasn’t like IA was her teacher or anything like that. 682Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡKzhuwiLPow
She remembered what IA said.682Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ39ceIoRTOf
"That was inappropriate of me.”682Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡpELZ46H9Pd
Yukari sighed as Roro’s face popped into her head. Was that breakup all for nothing? 682Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡfEdhscjKfJ
She shook her head. He wouldn’t deserve to be led on like that. 682Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡq0J3TdDPol
She opened the book and began reading it. Some parts of the novel were awkwardly worded, possibly as a result of a bad translation, but the mystery was as engaging as IA said it would be. 682Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡJb9UxJVVjl
When Yukari made it to the first love scene, her entire body went hot. Clunky wording aside, the scene was undeniably attractive to her, and she pictured IA as the blonde girl on the cover as she read the scene. Eventually, she dropped the book and fantasised on her own, the scenario in her mind getting more and more explicit.682Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡypHIkg08fF
When she was done fantasising, she continued reading until Roro’s frightened face entered her mind, convincing her to do homework. After that, she read a bit more until she went to sleep, which was around 11 or 12. It took around half an hour for her to fully fall asleep as the mystery of the novel consumed her mind.682Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡo926KX04FS
As soon as she woke up, she read some more before her mother yelled at her to have breakfast and go to school.682Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ5JpJtKywAs
She shoved the book in her school bag and did as her mother said. During class she kept getting distracted, trying to piece together the clues presented in the novel. She stared at Roro in the seat next to her. He looked back at her and frowned before turning his head and murmuring something she couldn’t hear. She felt her heart sink. 682Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡgBGTHt290K
When lunch started, she took her food with her to the library, saw the ‘no food’ sign and ran outside. She sat under a bridge from the classrooms to the club rooms and opened the book. 682Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡtKmENDBEZj
She managed to get near the end. She was so close, and the answer to the mystery was only a few pages away-682Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡEspTOVrdfO
And then a teacher walked up to her. He was tall and had eyebrows so thick it felt as if he could crush someone with them. She hid the book behind her back and the teacher scowled at her.682Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡb9vqI1M8aj
“Show me what you’ve got.”682Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ42A3dTwHVt
Yukari groaned but complied, her hands shaking as she held the book up. The teacher raised an eyebrow. 682Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡWIDpS2xmlh
“Come with me to the Principal’s office.”682Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡVXK0ypYRtA
“I-It’s not what you think! It’s a mystery novel!”682Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡMi8mYHDfMt
“Nice try.”682Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡIIUsp2EPEy
Yukari stood up, trying her best not to cry. She followed him to the Principal’s office, which was inhabited by a short man with a toupee. The teacher handed him the book and the Principal’s eyebrows jumped through the roof. Yukari lowered her head and bit her lip.682Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡt2n2fVMhuz
“This is… I’ve never seen a girl bring this sort of material to school before. I’m going to have to call your parents.”682Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡwuZvp7i09y
Yukari cried, “They don’t know! Please don’t tell them!”682Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡy7BwxqqlsJ
The Principal shook his head. “This is very concerning. Now, where did you get this book?”682Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡx9HRw72Yjr
“That’s…” IA’s pearly white smile jumped into her mind. “I bought it.”682Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡljucZrStwW
“And you brought this book here because…”682Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡn9oEiaP5fG
Yukari turned her head and scrunched up her eyes. 682Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡEs0GRMnqxD
“I wanted to get answers to the mystery in the book. It’s a murder mystery. Look at the magnifying glass on the cover.”682Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡbSFGpGnRNc
The Principal stared at the cover, trying to keep himself from smiling.682Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡAWFFmib1fY
“I’ll have to confiscate this.”682Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡK8dggzWySl
“For how long?”682Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ9O41zUWZKP
“I don’t think a girl like you should be reading something like this.”682Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡKa3JfkQQc4
“But… please…. I’m really sorry. I won’t bring it in again.”682Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡk53GFraxxD
“Well, since this is your first offence, I guess I can give it back at the end of the week.” He ran his thumb against the cover. “Yes, a week should do. You’ll have learnt your lesson by then. I’m still going to have to call your parents. Come here after school for a meeting. And if you try to leave school before then, I think this book will look nice on my shelf.”682Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡQpUkHEsJzK
Yukari bowed and left. She headed to the library, finishing her food on the way.682Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡaMIY7Sp55J
“IA, can I talk to you about the book?” 682Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡp3Jxm3K6dh
IA nodded, leading her to the librarian’s office. Yukari took a deep breath and bowed again.682Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡx9yvfm5L0M
“I’m really sorry.” She explained what happened.682Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡZYi4nor4A3
IA’s eyebrows were furrowed as she rubbed the back of her neck.682Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡYbEEIXdB5S
“I… I see. The one who should really be sorry is me. Giving you that book… how inappropriate of me. Should I… stop giving you these books? I went too far. I knew this was a bad idea.” Yukari noticed that there were bags under IA’s eyes. 682Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡO2FUWbY9uh
Yukari raised a trembling hand up to IA’s cheek.682Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡR8BDfOiapq
“It’s okay. I… I don’t want to end the time we’ve spent together. I do hav something to tell you, though. Hopefully it won’t end… whatever it is we have.”682Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ5zdUaIT3SI
IA turned away and took a book off the shelf, her breaths ragged. 682Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡYGj6f6xAr2
“I know what you’re going to say.” She and Yukari spoke at the same time. “You’re straight and feel weirded out by me giving you these books.”682Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡOsozBGYGD2
“I like you. Could we maybe, I don’t know, go out for coffee sometime?”682Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡf50TG5IZQx
IA dropped the book and whipped her head around.682Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡJD6mv0P5C7
“Could you… repeat that?”682Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡedNWfLcqnr
Yukari’s cheeks went pink. “Well, I like you. You know that breakup with Roro? It was because I liked you more. You kind of made realise that I’m bisexual. I was thinking… maybe we could go out somewhere. I get it if you don’t want to! You probably want to keep your job. But we could keep it a secret if you want. But, you know, if you don’t want to… that’s cool… I’ll act cool as a cucumber. Cool as ice. Cool as… What am I saying?”682Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡD1lDIS0egx
IA grinned and giggled, her eyes welling up with tears. She wrapped her arms around Yukari and started to cry on her shoulder.682Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ389k5MGYla
“Thank you. Thank you so much!”682Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡoN1yDCTKpF
Yukari patted her head before stroking her hair.682Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡFAbiiqEqKd
“I-Is that a yes?”682Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ7gulXlGa25
“It has to be secret, though. Are you sure you want to worry about keeping secrets?”682Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡwVGstPtFfB
Yukari chuckled. “So long as I don’t do anything as stupid as bringing a dirty book to school, I’ll be fine. By the way, please don’t spoil the ending. I didn’t get to finish it.” She released a short gasp. “Wait, can I tell Roro if he starts talking to me again? He already knows I like you and I know he won’t tell anyone.”682Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡPFOAcWeGGb
IA frowned and let go. “I… I guess. No one else, though. Not even your parents.”682Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡWOpLqBt1zk
Yukari eyes widened. “Oh god, my parents. Well, I’ll see you tomorrow since my parents are probably going to drag me home after this meeting. Thanks for reminding me.” Both her body and her voice shuddered as she shook her head like a dog trying to rid its fur of water after a bath.682Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡzxTG4zb8Ko
IA took several books off the shelf and made a pile of them, giving them to Yukari, who stared at her with one eyebrow higher than the other.682Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ5O3ObBHIMu
IA winked. “We have to keep this a secret, right? Don’t want to arouse suspicion around me taking you to my office.”682Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡXgXBQhCeJo
Yukari nodded with a smile. She turned towards the door and breathed slowly. She took a few moments to appreciate the moment she shared with IA before having to deal with her parents. For a few more seconds it was just her and the ghostlike librarian who became her girlfriend.
ns3.137.213.117da2
and then Add to home screen.